Teams are changing and so is the balance of power in the Big Ten. Kind of.

The Michigan basketball team has a chance to make a push next season. Purdue will take a step back. But all Big Ten teams will likely continue to look up at Ohio State at the top of the standings.

The Buckeyes lose a lot, return a lot and have another good freshman class that should lead them to be considered the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten. They're atop the first AnnArbor.com offseason power rankings:

1. Ohio State: Jared Sullinger has said emphatically he’s coming back. So has William Buford. Their return, along with point guard Aaron Craft and former McDonald’s All-American DeShaun Thomas, give the Buckeyes the most talented top 4 in the Big Ten and perhaps the second-most talented in the country, behind North Carolina. Add in another highly-touted freshman class and it’s tough to see Ohio State anywhere but the top of the Big Ten again in 2011-12.

2. Michigan: If there is a team that can challenge Ohio State, it is the Wolverines. Michigan will likely have everyone back, although Darius Morris could test his draft options. With Morris, the Wolverines could even overtake the Buckeyes. If he leaves, they could still be a top 3 team in the Big Ten.

Michigan State's Draymond Green and Michigan's Zack Novak will be the emotional leaders of teams that should give Ohio State the biggest challenge for a Big Ten title next season.

AnnArbor.com file photo

3. Michigan State: Yes, the Spartans lose a lot with the departures of Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers. But after a season of disappointment, this is finally Draymond Green’s team. Having that singular leader should help refocus Tom Izzo’s bunch in a rebuilding year for the Big Ten. The Spartans also have a big recruiting class, led by Gary, Ind., swingman Branden Dawson.

4. Wisconsin: Bo Ryan’s teams never finish out of the top 4 in the Big Ten and with Jordan Taylor returning to run the point, the Badgers will stay among the Big Ten’s elite. Wisconsin loses size with the departures of Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil, but Taylor and Josh Gasser can still form a nice backcourt.

5. Illinois: The Illini have more questions than any other team this offseason. Is losing the mercurial Demetri McCamey and Jereme Richmond a help or hindrance to the overall Illinois program? Where Illinois will lose a lot is inside, with Mike Tisdale, Bill Cole and Mike Davis gone to graduation. A smaller team could fit well for Illinois as more will be expected of guards D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul. Also, the Illini have four 4-star (by Rivals.com) prospects ready to come in this fall.

6. Northwestern: In theory, this could be Bill Carmody’s best team at Northwestern. The Wildcats lose do-everything point guard Juice Thompson, but four-fifths of the starting lineup returns, including a healthy John Shurna. Tre Demps, a freshman out of San Antonio, could be another surprise for Northwestern. The big question is, who will run the point for the Wildcats?

7. Indiana: This team should — should — be better than the bottom third of the Big Ten. A good recruiting class led by Indiana Mr. Basketball Cody Zeller — the third Zeller brother to win Mr. Basketball in the state — will help, as will one of the more experienced rosters in the league. If Indiana wants to finish this high, though, it needs a breakout season from junior forward Christian Watford.

8. Iowa: The transition from slow to fast in Fran McCaffery’s first year was pretty bumpy, but the Hawkeyes showed potential by the end of the season. Having Melsahn Basabe back for another year, along with Devyn Marble, will give Iowa two powerful sophomores to surround senior Matt Gatens. This team is probably still a year away from being good, but don’t be surprised if they challenge for an NCAA tournament berth.

9. Purdue: The Boilermakers lose more than any team in the Big Ten. JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore helped rebuild the Purdue program. Now, there are more questions than stars. Will Robbie Hummel, off back-to-back torn ACLs, be able to play at 100 percent? Can two of Ryne Smith, Kelsey Barlow and Terone Johnson become reliable scorers? How will the defense look without JaJuan Johnson’s dynamic shot-blocking ability? Purdue may be better than ninth, but right now there are too many unknowns.

10. Minnesota: There isn’t much to like about the Gophers right now. Trevor Mbakwe could return for another year, but is testing the NBA Draft out. Either way, the Gophers lose their best shooter (Blake Hoffarber), have no point guard (Al Nolen graduated, Devoe Joseph transferred) and have lost at least some of their size (Colton Iverson left the team, Ralph Sampson III is considering the NBA). The athletic Rodney Williams will return, but otherwise there are a bunch of players who need to adjust to new roles.

11. Nebraska: Welcome to the Big Ten. While Nebraska’s football team will challenge for a league title right away, the Cornhuskers’ basketball team will struggle. Nebraska will return a chunk of its team that contended briefly for a NCAA berth last year before being knocked out by Wichita State in the first round of the NIT. Nebraska has three 3-star (by Rivals.com) recruits signed for this year. Center Jorge Brian Diaz, at 6-foot-11, could pose problems for teams. But it’ll be a rough adjustment to the Big Ten for Nebraska.

12. Penn State: It isn’t only that Talor Battle has run out of eligibility — although that’s a bigger loss than any other Big Ten team will take — but that other key contributors, as well. Jeff Brooks, who was the underlying key to Penn State’s tournament run, is gone. So are D.J. Jackson and Andrew Jones. Tim Frazier could be a breakout player for the Nittany Lions and he is the team’s leading returning scorer — at 6.3 points a game.

Michael Rothstein covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.